Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

I've never been either, but have always wanted to attend!

Problem is, I hear the reports say you are more out of place if you DON'T dress up in costume. Well, I wanna be Utena, of course... but my appearance is more along the lines of Anthy, because I'm only 5'4... I won't! Sure, I love Anthy, she's probably my favorite. But not because I'm similar, just out of sheer awe. I identify more with Utena, but alas... I couldn't bear to go in a costume I can't pull off because I'm too short. What is Utena? Like 6'10?

Plus, I'm 25 - I'm assuming most people are teenagers attending. Ah well, if you did go, when you do go, will you be cosplaying??? I should just go with a camera! How fun! I'll bet those conventions are fun, I've read many a blogs about people's experiences and they sound most entertaining!

Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that. / You forget some things, don't you? / Yes. You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget.

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

I've never been to a proper anime convention, but I went to a sci-fi/fantasy convention this past January, and found to my surprise that something about them annoys me. Maybe it's the whole crowds thing, I dunno. I liked browsing the merchants' tables (one of whom had a bunch of Utena dubbed VHS tapes in decent shape, but I resisted), I liked the game room (where I played Munchkin with some friends), and I liked some of the workshops and talks. But I'm kinda glad I didn't have a room there, because I found myself getting inexplicably fed up or overwhelmed or something as the day wore on. Can't put my finger on it, even now.

So, I suppose my advice would be to take periodic breaks from the madness. Go out to dinner away from the hotel (assuming you've got a room) or take a nap. It can get to be a little much, so maybe those little breaks will help you enjoy things more.

You know our hearts beat time out very slowly. You know our hearts beat time -- they are waiting for something that'll never arrive.

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

Well, I've only been to three and that was AnimeVegas every year. I've learned that you should get ready to a long-hall, mostly if the convention lasts more then one day and you plan to go every day.

- Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, you're probably gonna be walking.... a LOT. - It's good to get a print-out of all the events, panels, etc that are scheduled through out the convention. You should make a keen plan on which ones you want to go to. - Snacks are important, too. Generally, most of the food that's sold directly at the convention is pretty expense (unless it's pocky). Bringing a lunch isn't a bad idea and saves time deciding what to eat.- Don't lose your badge~ (or whatever they ask you to carry to get into the con). I lost mine one year and the front was kind enough to give me another one as long as I didn't tell. I found my original when I checked in with AnimeVegas staff, so I ended up with two all three-day passes (but I didn't use that to my advantage...)- If you have friends going with you then keep close tabs on them. If you split, make sure to figure out what they're doing, that way you don't call them in the middle of a panel or Dance Dance Revolution competition.- Also, itís perfectly fine not to cosplay (especially if itís your first year going) & itís also completely acceptable to only cosplay two days out of three.- If youíre going to be taking a lot of pictures then make sure that you ask before you do. Be kind, donít take a picture if a cosplayer is eating or doing something that provides there full attention.- Also, donít hug the cosplayers unless you ask. I remember for AV06 I was Lacus Clyne from Gundam Seed (and my boyfriend was Kira Yamato from the same show---we were a couple cosplay), and we got attacked with hugs. We didnít know what we were in store in. So, try asking because getting glomped by random people is just asking for injury.- If youíre a cosplayer, hug backÖ itís only polite. =^.^= (This is entirely optional).- Most importantly, bring a lot of money. Thereís too much to buy and so much you want. Itís insane if you canít live without that action figure and youíve already spent all your money. So shop wise.- Ah, almost forgot, around the last hour of the con on the last day, the prices usually drop from anywhere to ten to thirty dollars because all the venders are trying to get rid of their stuff.

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

Frosty wrote:

What is Utena? Like 6'10?

On the official charts she's only 5'5'', so you'd be just about perfect. Anthy's 5 even. And of course the guys are all like....7'5", pshaw.

I totally second allllllllllll the advice so far. I spent about five years running from one convention to another -I've stopped going and I really kinda miss it. My only advice is to bring cash! Most of those booths, especially the smaller ones, don't take credit/debit cards, and the atms at convention halls/hotels usually charge an astronomical service fee. Yeah, I did AFO one year and forgot to get cash beforehand, and racked up almost 15 bucks in service charges because of that.

To be totally honest though, I've not had fun at a convention in a long time. Be prepared for a lot of drama, because as much as I love them, the people at cons are freaky-deaks, and a good percentage on medication. I usually ended up listening to people whine about other attendees, things like how the judges were biased, and so-and-so didn't look at them or pay enough attention, or who they fucked or whatever.

mercurynin wrote:

But I'm kinda glad I didn't have a room there, because I found myself getting inexplicably fed up or overwhelmed or something as the day wore on. Can't put my finger on it, even now.

You too? I think it was all the noobs that were pissing me off at my last couple cons.

The first time you looked at her curves you were hookedAnd the glances you took, took hold of you and demanded that you stayAnd sunk in their teeth, bit your heart and releasedSuch a charge that you need another touch, another taste, another fix

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

Wow, thanks everyone for your advice...I'm definitely saving up for it....also I plan on showing my adventure on youtube as well. If I do cosplay I'll do it as Anthy cause I have to represent for all Utena fans..lol..that or...Akio himself..cause all I need is a nice whitish-purplish wig and a friends white tux and there you go. I'm 20 and besides, anime cons are for everyone..heck I got a 52 year old proffesor who admits watching Tenchi Muyo.

Akio..and James Brown(R.I.P.) have two things in common: 1)They are sex machines...2)They are the only ones that could possibly make jumping over the windshield of a car look effortless..

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

Kanashimi wrote:

Well, I've only been to three and that was AnimeVegas every year. I've learned that you should get ready to a long-hall, mostly if the convention lasts more then one day and you plan to go every day.

- Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, you're probably gonna be walking.... a LOT. - It's good to get a print-out of all the events, panels, etc that are scheduled through out the convention. You should make a keen plan on which ones you want to go to. - Snacks are important, too. Generally, most of the food that's sold directly at the convention is pretty expense (unless it's pocky). Bringing a lunch isn't a bad idea and saves time deciding what to eat.- Don't lose your badge~ (or whatever they ask you to carry to get into the con). I lost mine one year and the front was kind enough to give me another one as long as I didn't tell. I found my original when I checked in with AnimeVegas staff, so I ended up with two all three-day passes (but I didn't use that to my advantage...)- If you have friends going with you then keep close tabs on them. If you split, make sure to figure out what they're doing, that way you don't call them in the middle of a panel or Dance Dance Revolution competition.- Also, itís perfectly fine not to cosplay (especially if itís your first year going) & itís also completely acceptable to only cosplay two days out of three.- If youíre going to be taking a lot of pictures then make sure that you ask before you do. Be kind, donít take a picture if a cosplayer is eating or doing something that provides there full attention.- Also, donít hug the cosplayers unless you ask. I remember for AV06 I was Lacus Clyne from Gundam Seed (and my boyfriend was Kira Yamato from the same show---we were a couple cosplay), and we got attacked with hugs. We didnít know what we were in store in. So, try asking because getting glomped by random people is just asking for injury.- If youíre a cosplayer, hug backÖ itís only polite. =^.^= (This is entirely optional).- Most importantly, bring a lot of money. Thereís too much to buy and so much you want. Itís insane if you canít live without that action figure and youíve already spent all your money. So shop wise.- Ah, almost forgot, around the last hour of the con on the last day, the prices usually drop from anywhere to ten to thirty dollars because all the venders are trying to get rid of their stuff.

Hope that helps~

I've sooo save all of this advice along with everyone elses under MS Word.

My only question now is whether or not to reserve hotel rooms...I'm about 45 minutes from Durham but, I don't feel like driving back and forth everyday....I'll probably decided later on that...but not too later..

Akio..and James Brown(R.I.P.) have two things in common: 1)They are sex machines...2)They are the only ones that could possibly make jumping over the windshield of a car look effortless..

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

I've never been to one either, but I don't plan on going to one either. Most anime fans have this huge air about them now-a-days, 'If you don't know this super cool anime, or this one, or even THIS one; you are not a fan.' Bah! I was watching the original Sailor Moon while they were still playing foursquare.

sometimes you make me feel like Iím living at the edge of the world"it's just the way I smile"you said

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

lol utenafangirl's the cheap way covention guide

If the convention is a huge convention then

If you live near the area of the convention feel free to drive back and forth to home and convention- but if you dont live near the convention thenA. find a friend that lives near the convention to park at thier houseB. carpool and help pay for parking ticketC. pay for the parking

never get a hotel unless your loadedA. sleep at a hotel couch (i've sleepover in a hotel couch at the conventions before XD)B. Keep awake at the video room if they have anime all nightC unless you live near the convention then just drive home or to a friends house thats closer

if your planning to take pics of cosplayers have a lot of film or memory/batteries for your camera

if your planing to cosplay yourself....try to be as confortable as you can in your costum and think of what kind of weather you'll have

have a lot of storage room in that backpack incase you buy bunchy of stuff in the dealers room

watch where ya going cause someones costume might poke you out of no where o.<

beware of glompers X3 (my friend got glompified by a group from gravitation...so it can happen) which you can ask to hug others but doesnt mean your gonna be immune to others glomping ya

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

I used to go to conventions all the time, but I haven't been to one in a year or so, mostly because the conventions round where I live (Florida) are just repeats of the year before. It gets boring after a while. But, if you're just starting out, it can be a wonderful experience. Make sure not to make the same mistake I did and think that you can live on Pocky and Ramune once you've spent your entire wallet on that really expensive and rare Jrock video and like 30 Full Metal Alchemist doujinshi. Never a good idea. You also probably want to book a nearby hotel (often you get cheapter rates so long as you can handle the transportation) or room with a friend; buying one hotel room for yourself is just wasteful. Get roommates for that kind of thing; me, I roomed with five other people in two rooms at my last convention. Pre-registering is your friend.

A lot of people don't go to conventions; either because they can't or because they choose not to. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Bring a camera; if you don't have a digital one, bring a couple disposable ones. You will use them a lot. And don't worry-- cosplay is optional. By the time you leave, you'll have enough stuff you bought at the Dealer Room to make it look like you're cosplaying already. (Fifty pairs of cat ears, anyone?)

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

I don't (and have never) cosplayed. I never feel out of place for that reason.

I've been hitting SF cons since about 1990, and hadn't gone to a specifically anime con until I hit ShoujoCon in 2002 (2002? the second year of it, anyway). As I've gotten older, I've realized that I just don't enjoy cons unless I'm doing something at them: running a game (I ran Chill games at SciCon in Virginia for about six years running, and ran an Aurora game at VeriCon [at Harvard] a few years ago) or working (I was Reg Chair for Yuricon 2003 and then helped Erica run the Yuricon table at Anime Boston in 2004). I hate the crowds, I hate the aimlessness, most of the panels piss me off, and even the hucksters' room doesn't attract me any more (crowded! loud! and not nearly as interesting as the 200+ merchants at the Pennsic War). If I'm going to one specifically to meet friends, I usually end up running games in the hotel room, or otherwise spending a lot of time in the hotel room.

The only exception to the rule I've found so far was my one experience at ReaderCon, where it was pretty much just like going to a great big bookstore, with some interesting panels in-between. The men were kind of creepy, though, which probably explains most of why I haven't been back (that and the lack of interesting GoH).

Of course, all this doesn't explain why I'm planning to attend VeriCon in January (it's totally Shaenon Garrity getting me there), trying to get to WisCon in May (WisCon! It's just... it's WisCon!), and have agreed to help out at YuriCon next fall (the Erica mind control ray is apparently functional). I think I just keep believing that I can like cons, if I can just find the correct combinatin of activities.

In any case, advice: Save up cash. Then save up some more, because you're going to spend more money than you can possibly imagine in advance. Avoid Denny's like the plague (everyone seems to want to go to a Denny's during cons, but they're just Evil). If you're strapped for cash, make sure you attend a con that's got a con suite -- usually, there's some peanut butter or something like that you can survive on for the weekend. Sleeping in hallways and on couches are VERY frowned on by hotel staff and, often, by con security. For one thing, it just ain't safe. For another, hotels make their money by renting rooms and facilities. You're not renting a room, and the hotel may get very shirty about it. Try to find a safe room with some friends to crash in if you can't do the horrible 48-hour Bataan Death March of Video Room Consciousness.

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

I agree with all the advice already posted, but have a few tips to add:

-Don't go alone; it's lonely if you don't have anyone to share the experience with. (I did this and left early, depressed that I had moved away from con-attending friends.)

-If you travel to a con, try to get a room in the hotel or as close as possible, especially if the weather sucks. You'll be lugging yourself (possibly in costume) and the crap you buy back and forth at least six times a day if you're like me. (Hello Katsucon DC winter weather in a Lulu costume)

-If going with a group, don't feel obligated to stick together all the time, or you'll feel disappointed that you didn't get to go to this or that. When I went with my club, most people split into their own groups and we tried to get together and eat once a day as a club. (Also a time when officers of a club can make sure everyone is doing OK)

-You don't have to be loaded to go to a hotel. You just have to have 6+ friends that don't mind sharing a bed/sleeping on the floor. One group checks in and goes up to the room, the other group waits a few minutes and goes separately so the hotel doesn't suspect 7 people staying in a 4 person room. (This is fun if you don't have any divas or bathroom-hoggers in the group. Also, one group showers in the morning, the other at night, and everyone brings towels.)

-Don't drive yourself crazy making costumes. You'll stress yourself out by not sleeping and possibly get sick/moody and become a buzzkill. If you know that even though you bought the fabric but you're leaving the day after tommorrow, save it for the next convention. You still need time to pack all that shit, you know.

-There's nothing like an all-night anime music and video game remix rave. (A good way to get nice and tired)

-REST IS IMPORTANT BEFORE DURING AND AFTER THE CON. Especially if you are driving. Also, nobody wants to listen to your grouchy tired ass complaining, it's buzzkill. And you need to leave early enough so you can wind down when you get home because more than likely you have work or school the next day.

-If you're older than 18 or so, try to wait so that you can go to a larger convention. They have many more attendees and will have more things that interest both hardcore and casual fans. It's awkward to go to a small local convention attended by junior and high school students escorted by their parents. I did this once and it felt like I was trying to swim in the 1' deep baby pool.

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

well one thing about hotels if any of you plan to go to anime expo and stay at the hotels near the area i hear it would be best to start like now to book it for july x_x but smaller convention i think you can grab a hotel when ya come

X3 i dont mind being alone at a convention...its easier for me to get to the free stuff.....my whole line of t-shirts come from the convention...havent bought shirts in years

for people that has been to AX then know i still ware the .hack t-shirts cause i got like 5 of em X3 also i got two of the year 2000 AX shirt with utena on it

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

I've been to a convention before...

They're actually rather overrated... and I suggest that if you go to one, GO WITH FRIENDS!

Going it alone is torturous... especially if you're mildly good looking... because that automatically gets you fifteen hundred sweaty otakus saying 'wau.... heheh... I think ur hawt...' & trying to get you to cosplay Chocolate's battle costume from Sorcerer Hunters... or if you're a guy... eh... some naked dude...

They can be fun though... but really it's only if you are with some really good friends.

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

Wow, everyone has totally great advice for going to conventions...I'm so excited for it..first this one and dare I say it...I'll actually attend the Anime Expo 07 if possible...can someone say ROAD TRIP!?!?!

Oh, and hyacinth_black I am totally aware about going to places where otakus and game fans go alone...I do brave the fighting games at the arcades, but every once in awhile there'll be that creepy dude saying he's got Capcom vs. SNK Chaos at home...and then it's time for me to head back to the front..where it's safe.

Akio..and James Brown(R.I.P.) have two things in common: 1)They are sex machines...2)They are the only ones that could possibly make jumping over the windshield of a car look effortless..

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

Advice:If you cosplay, you WILL regret wearing shoes that hurt your feet.

I wore five inch heels as Sailor Moon, one year, and four inch heels as Mana. So much walking! NOT FUN. (This is, of course, why I've decided to cosplay Nanami next. Because she's basically the only SKU girl who doesn't wear flats. MY CHOICES IS SO AMAZING.)

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

I've been to one big convention -- Anime Central (ACen), the Midwest's annual megacon. I went with half of the U of C's anime club, and would never have gone alone; I get confused easily and need someone around who can set me straight if I get lost or lose track of the schedule or whatever. Most of the events, though, I attended alone, and I didn't feel bored for lack of company. I cosplayed a little -- Mikage! -- but no one recognized me that I know of, so I didn't get glomped/groped/whatev. (I felt kinda left out.)

Anyway, advice that hasn't been covered!

- Have a plan for food. Seriously, have a plan for food. I think I somehow expected the hotel to have a food court; in reality, if they had a restaurant of any kind I never found it. I ate very little the whole weekend.

- If you are like me and hate crowds, steel yourself. There will be crowds, and you will be packed like a sardine into elevators. It's tolerable as long as you accept it.

- Corollary: If someone is cosplaying, it's okay to pay attention. If their costume is really good -- I saw a totally awesome Etna/Flonne pair -- compliment them. They like that.

- If an event is going to be really popular and you want to go, show up early. I mean really early. I mean like during the previous guy's presentation. Hotels have rules about how many people can be in a room at one time, and you don't want to miss the interview with Ikuhara because of the "fire code" or whatev.

- If there are anime-themed game shows, go. You will either be awed by the breadth of the contestants' knowledge or feel smugly superior. Either way it's fun to watch, and you don't have to stay for the whole thing.

- Get someone in the dealer room to sketch your portrait. It makes an awesome souvenir.

- DO NOT BE AN ASSHOLE. Do not roller blade around a crowded convention hall with a four-foot papier-mache stick because your Shounen Bat costume is oh so awesome. Do not roleplay with people who aren't expecting it. For the love of God, shower once a day or more. I'm sure you don't need to be told this, but it is included for completeness.

Re: Ok everyone do NOT hurl a million swords of noobie hate on me but....

satyreyes wrote:

I've been to one big convention -- Anime Central (ACen), the Midwest's annual megacon. . . . Have a plan for food. Seriously, have a plan for food. I think I somehow expected the hotel to have a food court; in reality, if they had a restaurant of any kind I never found it. I ate very little the whole weekend.

For future reference, there is food to buy at Acen...but it's hidden in a corner and costs way too much. So yeah, have a plan for food anyway.